Research

Dissertation & Job Market Paper

My dissertation focuses on corporate political activity (CPA) and its relationship to corporate governance and stakeholder interests and will be organized as a three-chapter study. My job market paper encompasses the first and second chapters. 

The first chapter investigates how CPA and firms’ partisan alignment influence stock analysts’ earnings forecasts under performance decline. I theorize that partisan alignment shapes pressure on corporate governance to prioritize shareholder value. The second chapter analyzes firms’ responses to such pressure through decisions that directly affect stakeholder interests. I examine how partisan alignment relates to firms’ downsizing announcements, which have significant implications for employees as a key stakeholder group. The third chapter investigates how union shareholder activism affects firms’ voluntary disclosure of political spending. I contribute to the CPA literature by examining how firms’ political engagement shapes external evaluations and corporate decisions in ostensibly nonpolitical domains. My research speaks to the growing interest in political polarization and the heightened scrutiny of firms' political activities. Theoretically, I adopt an audience-centered perspective on CPA, moving beyond explanations focused on the ideological preferences of executives as well as instrumental views of CPA as a vehicle for regulatory access. 

Publications

Han, K. H., Lamare, J. R., & Zhang, T. (in press). Methods for Studying Union Effects: A Review and Comparative Analysis of Empirical Industrial Relations Literature. Industrial Relations Journal.

Han, K. H., & Benton, R. A. (2025). The Adverse Impact of Accountability Policies: Performance-based Funding, Diversity Outcomes, and Organizational Visibility. Socio-Economic Review, mwaf028, https://doi.org/10.1093/ser/mwaf028

Kramer, A., Han, K. H., Kim, Y. K., & Kramer, K. Z. (2024). Inefficiencies and Bias in First Job Placement: The Case of Professional Asian Nationals in the United States. Journal of Industrial Relations, 66(2), 263-290, https://doi.org/10.1177/00221856231226270

Revise & Resubmit

[Title Blinded for Review: CEO Characteristics and Strategic Decision Making] (1st author; with Sunjin Pak)

— Revise & Resubmit at Journal of Management

Working Papers 

The Impact of Corporate Political Activity on Downsizing and Financial Market Assessments

— Job Market Paper (submission planned for Strategic Management Journal, Spring 2026)

Organizational Political Slant: Unveiling Political Bias in Routine Corporate Communications (3rd author; with Yusaku Takeda & Tommy Pan Fang)

— Proposal Under Review at Management Science for the Special Issue on Business and Geopolitics

Diversity-Social Network Research (4th author; with Hyuntak Roh, Hongseok Oh, & Wookje Sung)

— Preparing for Submission (planned for Spring 2026)

Political Determinants of CDO Adoption (2nd author; with Richard Benton & Eunmi Mun)

— Manuscript Writing (submission planned for Administrative Science Quarterly, Fall 2026)

Crisis Moment and Organizational Effectiveness (2nd author; with Tingting Zhang & Robert Bruno)

— Manuscript Writing (submission planned for ILR Review, Fall 2026)

Shareholder Activism and CPA Disclosure (Dissertation 3rd Chapter)

— Data Collection (submission planned for Organization Science, Spring 2027)

Meta Analysis on HPWS and Employee Well-Being (3rd author; with Amit Kramer & Yin Lee)

— Data Collection (submission planned for Academy of Management Journal, Spring 2027)

Union Political Activity and Policy Liberalism (1st author; with Ryan Lamare)

— Data Collection (submission planned for ILR Review)

Book Chapters & Reports

Han, K. H., Lamare, J. R., & Zhang, T. (2024). The Evolution of Industrial Relations Research Methods: A Review of Key Union Effects Studies From the Late 20th to Early 21st Century. In: Parker, Jane, Donnelly, Noelle, Ressia, Sue and Gavin, Mihajla, (eds.) Field Guide to Researching Employment and Industrial Relations. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, UK.

Han, K. H., Zhang, T., & Bruno, R. (2024). Union Representation During a Pandemic: The Case of K-12 School COVID Protocols, Public Health and Individual Autonomy. Project for Middle Class Renewal.